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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

QPR's Point at Barnsley - Additional Match Reports

Jamal Campbell-Ryce's glowing performance should have determined this game in Barnsley's favour last night. He gave the QPR full-back Damien Devaney a torrid time, but the only problem was that the Tykes lacked a striker with a fiery finish.

"We've got a point but possibly with the chances we had we were disappointed that we didn't take all three," said Simon Davey, Barnsley's manager. "I think people have got to appreciate that conditions were poor. The wind was swerving round and lots of passes went astray."

Istvan Ferenczi held the ball up well for Brian Howard who sneaked behind a somewhat ponderous Rangers back line and stung Lee Camp's palms with his drive. Camp was at the centre of a comedy of errors seconds later when he dropped a spinning ball at Ferenczi's feet. The Hungarian ran the ball wide and gave Michael Mancienne time to recover and block.

In a swirling wind the Londoners opted to play more of a high-ball game and, with their height advantage, it made sense but it did not make for control.

After good work by Martin Devaney, Howard swept the ball over to Campbell-Ryce on the right flank. His excellent centre found Ferenczi's head but this time the striker could not bring the ball down and Camp watched it clear the crossbar. For the hosts Dennis Souza and Lewin Nyatanga were a solid pairing at the back, cancelling out Patrick Agyemang's threat.

Rangers emerged for the second half like they meant business. Balanta hit the upright, but Nyatanga cleared with his usual calm. Hogan Ephraim came on for Balanta, hared down the right and set up a shot for Buzsaky, but it lacked direction. Camp got a reminder that Barnsley were not out of the picture despite Rangers' dominance of this half when he had to touch a Diego Leon free-kick over the angle. The same Leon worked a great opening, but the shot inched over the crossbar.

Kayode Odejayi replaced Ferenczi and created an immediate impact, running Mancienne ragged, but the resultant cross was cleared. How Fitz Hall did not concede a penalty for his 86th-minute tackle is known only to the referee Eddie Ilderton. Jon Macken was felled from behind and looked expectantly at the penalty spot but it was not to be.

Telegraph - Jeremy Cross - Barnsley fluff Chelsea FA Cup auditionBarnsley (0) 0 Queens Park Rangers (0) 0 Barnsley manager Simon Davey might be relishing the visit of Chelsea in the FA Cup, but he is doing his best to hide it. Having watched his side held to a frustrating goalless draw by Queens Park Rangers at Oakwell, it seems the more pressing concern of climbing the Championship table is occupying his immediate thoughts.

Football fans' forumadvertisementThis result left Barnsley just six points above the relegation zone and with difficult games against neighbours Sheffield Wednesday and Blackpool to come.

Davey is keen for his players to somehow focus on these challenges ahead and not the glamour that comes with a quarter-final tie against Avram Grant's multi-millionaires.

Davey said: "The players who deserve the shirt against Chelsea will get in the team, but I don't really want to talk about the FA Cup any more.

"We want to focus on picking up points instead. This was another one gained and lets hope we can get three more on Saturday. Looking at the game, the chances we had and the decisions that went against us, we would have liked to win the game."

Barnsley created the better openings but showed a profligacy in front of goal that will not be tolerated against Chelsea. Hungary international Istvan Ferenczi was guilty of two glaring misses in the first half, shooting wide after visiting goalkeeper Lee Camp had gifted him the ball before heading Jamal Campbell-Ryce's accurate cross off target. Brian Howard - scorer of the match-winning goal against Liverpool in the last round of the FA Cup - was also foiled by Camp.

Rangers' best period came just after the interval, when Dexter Blackstock shot over after Luke Steele had parried Martin

Rowlands' effort before Lewin Nyatanga blocked Akos Buzsaky's strike on his own line.

The hosts then had two appeals for a penalty rejected when Fitz Hall challenged Jon Macken before appearing to handle a loose ball inside his own penalty area. The game, however, seemed destined to remain a stalemate and Rangers have now gone three matches without a win. Rangers' manager, Luigi de Canio, appeared satisfied with a point and knows his team remain a work in progress.

The Italian said: "We accept the point. It was a tough game and not the best one from a technical point of view. Both defences were on top and I think the result was a fair one in the end. In terms of the penalty, I honestly thought I saw my player take the ball so I don't think it was a penalty." Telegraph

DAILY MAIL/Martin Hardy - Ferenczi failures cost Barnsley victory Bill Shankly once warned sides to watch their League status when the romance of the Cup is beguiling all and sundry. Barnsley managed to put most, if not all thoughts of Chelsea in 10 days out of their minds to eke out a point that could prove far more valuable long term than any date with the former Premier League champions. The threat of relegation has crept up on Simon Davey's side while they have thrived in the FA Cup, but they found enough resilience against Queens Park Rangers to suggest their season will not collapse if they cannot do to Avram Grant's side what they did to Liverpool. One thing is for certain. The profligacy they showed against a team level on points with them just above the Championship relegation scramble will ruin any good work in either competition. Hungarian forward Istvan Ferenczi chose a bad night to lose his finishing touch. Two outstanding chances were presented to him and spurned inside the opening half hour, when Barnsley were in control. Lee Camp could not have been more relieved at Ferenczi's first miss inside two minutes. The Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper lost possession inside his own area but Ferenczi, presented with an open net, took an unnecessary extra touch and his shot was charged down. Half an hour later Brian Howard, Barnsley's hero of Anfield, produced a fine pass to the right wing where Jamal Campbell- Ryce took the ball, powered to the byline and crossed deep to the far post. However, Ferenczi, with the goal at his mercy from a matter of feet, somehow headed against the outside of the post. It was as close as either side came to scoring, despite two late penalty appeals against Rangers' Fitz Hall — one for a sliding tackle on Jon Macken and then when the ball appeared to strike his arm. Davey said: 'We had enough chances to win the game. We just didn't take them. 'I have looked at the video and Jon has been taken down and it was a handball. 'It is a point gained but I am disappointed we did not get all three. We have to forget about the Chelsea game, the important thing is the League. I don't want to talk about the Cup anymore.' QPR manager Luigi De Canio said: 'We come away thinking 0-0 was the right result. I honestly believe I saw my player take the ball, so I don't think it was a penalty.' Mail